MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — he Morgantown Utility Board announced that the quality of the water used by their customers has surpassed regulation standards.
Chief Operator of the Morgantown Utility Board’s Robert B. Creel Water Treatment Plant, John Smerka, reported that the testing of the water supply that pumps nearly 3.7 billion gallons of water to MUB customers in 2024 passed every state and federal regulation with flying colors. The results of the testing were released as part of the 2024 MUB Consumer Confidence Report, where they broke down what the water was being tested for and which sources were tested to conclude 2024.
“We sent out the consumer confidence report, and it shows that we’re adhering to all EPA and state regulatory standards,” said Smerka.
In the consumer confidence report released by MUB, the water provided to customers was checked for nine potential contaminants by employees as part of the test. This includes searches for lead, zinc, phosphates, copper, and other metals that could be considered dangerous in large doses. According to Smerka, each of the tests for such contaminants showed little to no evidence of those concerns showing up in a customer’s water faucet, with three levels of testing and purifying taking place before any water is served to a home or business.
“Basically, everything that we test for is either drastically lower than the maximum contaminant levels, or in many cases, they are non-detectable,” said Smerka.
The two sources that are used to support MUB’s water supply were also tested, according to Smerka, where they also reported cleanliness that hasn’t been seen in close to 30 years. This includes the base source from the Monongahela River as well as the Cobun Creek reservoir, which together support an average of 10.39 million gallons of water used by over 100,000 MUB customers on a daily basis. While MUB confidence in the water supply for customers is incredibly high, Smerka mentioned that other measures are taken to keep water as healthy as possible before they reach faucets.
“Normally, that’s where the process would end for most water treatment plants, but we also have a membrane filter treatment facility,” said Smerka. “The water goes from the mixed medium filters to the membrane plant, so it’s like an extra polish on the water,” he said.
According to Smerka, the Morgantown Utility Board will continue to conduct the annual testing in both the customer water supply as well as the water sources for the utility. This will continue an over decade-long run of successful water tests that have received high praises from both state and federal utility regulating bodies. With MUB planning to operate the same way as they have done for several years, the water provider for over 100,000 customers in the Morgantown area feels confident in what they offer in people’s homes.
“It’s very good to see all of the hard work from everybody, not just here at the water plant, but all of the departments here at MUB,” said Smerka.